Photo Philadelphia Union II

In Chris Harmon’s (see photo) first outing as the Interim Philadelphia Union II Head Coach, for the second time in 2026 the Boys in Blue fell to a late winner at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex. Union II had not capitalized on earlier attacking chances despite being up a man for the final fifteen minutes of the match.

In advance

All MLS teams remained forbidden from practicing by that league.

We expected the usual Union II first teamers to play, but the first team’s Finn Sundstrom was suspended for a second yellow card against Crown Legacy. Union II right back Giovanny Sequera was also suspended for yellow card accumulation.

Interim Union II head coach Chris Harmon made his Union II game debut. Jordan Griffin, Kellan LeBlanc, and Malik Jakupovic had also returned from their recent international call-ups.

New York City FC II operated under the same roster restrictions as Philadelphia. We cannot estimate how their squad may have been affected by them.

Matt Pilkington has been the only head coach the side has had since the team’s inception at the beginning of the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season. His tenure includes an historic run to the round of 16 in U. S. Open Cup play in 2024. This is his fourth season in charge.

By contrast, since 2016, Bethlehem Steel FC aka Philadelphia Union II have had six head coaches on their sidelines when the various interims are included. They have been Brendan Burke, Sven Gartung, Marlon LeBlanc, Ryan Richter, Henry Apaloo, and now Chris Harmon.

Going into the match, Union II lay 10^th in the Eastern Conference, having played 13 games for their 18 points. NYC II lay 12^th, having played 11 for their 15. The difference in matches played can be partially attributed to NYC’s scheduled match against Inter Miami II a week prior having been postponed due to weather and logistical challenges. Thus, NYC played on the 15th day compared to Union II’s six after their free exhibition against Cote d’Ivoire’s national team.

First half

Union II entered the match on the front foot with three decent chances in the opening five minutes.

Union Midfielder Matheus De Paula was cautioned in the 8th minute for a late sliding challenge while pressing.

New York’s Joao Loiola got a yellow card in the 15th minute for a hard challenge, and his teammate Sebastiano Musu joined him in the 20th minute for standing in the way of a De Paula free kick.

Union II had a few more chances later on, but Malik Jakupovic kept taking heavy touches on the break and giving the ball away to New York defenders. Jakupovic broke through the line in the 27th minute, but his curling strike went high and wide of the net.

Play paused for a temperature-necessitated cooling and hydration break in the 30th minute.

Union II won a corner soon after play resumed. On the recycled ball, an Oscar Benitez backheel volley went just wide of the net.

Philadelphia goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook had a great save in first half stoppage time to deny a long-range effort by New York.

Willyam Ferreira dribbled past a defender to start a breakaway later in stoppage time but was pulled down by New York’s Kieran Smith, who was cautioned for the offense.

The half ended scoreless with both sides having had decent chances.

Second half

Lennon Harrington entered for Oliver Pratt at the break. Pratt is recovering from an injury and was likely on a minute restriction. The change moved Oscar Benitez to right back and Harrington to defensive midfielder next to De Paula.

Jakupovic had another break in the 56th minute with Willyam Ferreira on his right and Eddy Davis to his left to provide through ball options. But Jakupovic took too long to decide as he fed Davis whose shot was deflected for a corner.

Nehan Hasan entered for LeBlanc in the 63rd minute.

Just after, Philadelphia left back Jordan Griffin was called for a foul after shouldering down a New York attacker outside of the Union box. The free kick went right into the Philadelphia wall.

Play paused in the 69th minute while New York’s left back, Kieran Smith, received treatment for a leg injury. After the break, Sal Olivas came in for Malik Jakupovic. New York made two changes of their own, including the replacement of injured defender Smith.

Willyam Ferreira won a free kick to the left of the New York box in the 72nd minute. His chipped delivery went between the heads of two Union II players who were on the back post.

New York’s Sebastiano Musu received a second yellow card and was ejected in the 74th minute.

The referee called for a second hydration break in the 75th minute, despite both teams having already taken one seven minutes earlier. He has the discretionary authority to order extra ones as a player safety measure.

New York’s defensive midfielder Cooper Flax was cautioned for dissent in the 79th minute.

On the restart, Rafael Uzcategui clashed heads with a New York player and needed treatment. Tensions rose between the two teams, and center back Andrew Craig became the center of a mass confrontation while the Union II captain received medical attention. Uzcategui was deemed fit to continue and did not have to leave the field since it had been a head injury.

Multiple New York players were cramping by the 80th minute affirming the referee’s judgment about the hydration breaks.

New York’s Johnathan Lopez was cautioned in the 87th minute for an unnecessary hit on defensive mid De Paula. Union Academy forward Theo Reed entered for Willyam Ferreira in the 87th minute as well.

The fourth official indicated seven minutes of added time. Union II attackers appealed for a handball in the box in the first minute of stoppage, but were dismissed by the head official.

Uzcategui then tried to hit one from distance only to have it parried away excellently by New York’s keeper, Brennan Klein.

Union II’s captain then had a huge defensive effort on the other end and played it long over the top to Eddy Davis, who lost the ball and had it played out for a corner. New York forward Elhadji Samb, whom Uzcategui challenged for the ball, was injured on the play and could not continue.

Union II had two corners in the following minutes but could not find the net.

At the death Philadelhia center back Craig fouled a New York attacker and gave the visitors a free kick roughly thirty yards out. New York’s Cooper Flax picked out the winner and put the free kick wide to the left of Pierce Holbrook in goal.

 Next match

Union II next plays on the seventh day in Florida against Orlando City B at 7:00 PM on Sunday, June 21^st. The match will be played at Osceola Heritage Park, 24 miles from Orlando off I-4 towards Tampa in Osceola.

Three points, plus four

1. Oscar Benitez was a decent emergency right back. He is easily the fastest player on the team, and he made multiple breaking runs down the sideline. If he were given the opportunity, he might  become an offensive threat from that position.
2. Matheus De Paula had another clinical performance in the defensive midfield, including playing all but eight minutes of the match carrying a yellow.
3. Malik Jakupovic, Eddy Davis, and Sal Olivas all appeared to struggle with the ball in and around the opposition box reflecting positive credit on the New York defenders.
4. Academy midfielder Jett Harrison appeared on the Union II bench for the first time. He joined the Union Academy from DKSC Academy in Texas in February of 2026.
5. Similarly to New England in their victory in Chester a month ago, New York was noticeably loud in their postgame locker room celebrations.
6. Union II interim head coach Chris Harmon had only two days of work with his side prior to the match, since he had been away with the US U-18s as an assistant coach.
7. Union II received four separate substitution windows, we assume under the concussion substitution rules that apply to MLSNEXT Pro via its parent organization Major League Soccer as mandated by IFAB.

B O X S C O R E

 Lineups

Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R). Interim head coach Chris Harmon. 1^st – 2+1; U II – 9+0; AA – 0+7. Starters’ Ave Age = 19.6.

Starters: Pierce Holbrook; Jordan Griffin, Andrew Craig, Rafael Uzcategui, Oliver Pratt (Lennon Harrington— 46′); Matheus De Paula, Oscar Benitez; Willyam Ferreira (Theo Reed— 87′), Kellan LeBlanc (Nehan Hasan— 63′); Malik Jakupovic (Sal Olivas— 69′), Eddy Davis.

Holbrook	Griffin	Craig	Uzcategui	Pratt	De Paula
U II	U II	AA	U II	U II	AA
23.2	17.6	18.8	21.7	22.7	17.6
Benitez	Ferreira	LeBlanc	Jakupovic	Davis
U II	U II	U II	1st	1st
22.0	17.3	18.2	17.0	20.0

Substitutes: Matthew White; Kaiden Moore, Mamoutou Berthe, Jett Harrison.

White	Moore	Harrington	Berthe	Hasan	Harrison
AA	UII	AA	UII	AA	AA
16.7	19.1	18.0	19.5	17.9	17.0
Reed	Olivas
AA	1st
17.6	19.9

NYC FC II (4-2-3-1) Head coach Matt Pilkington. Per Transfermarkt, entire squad average age = 21.4.

Starters: Brennan Kline; Kamran Acito, Kieran Smith (Jonathan Lopez—70′), Joao Loiola, Adonis Campos, Cooper Flax, Joseph Suchecki, Sebastiano Musu, Drew Kerr (David Duque— 70′) (Gil De Sousa— 90+’), Camilo Ponce, Elhadji Samb (Henrik Hvatum— 90+’)

Substitutes: Rami Daoud; James Bilden, Eoin Martin, Lucas De Pinho

 Goals

NYII: Flax— 90+9′

Yellow Cards

UII: De Paula— 8′

NYII: Loiola— 15′

NYII: Musu— 20′

NYII: Smith— 45+’

NYII: Musu— 74′ (Second caution, ejection)

Whistle & Flags

REF: Stephen Foster, AR¹: Sharon Gingrich, AR²: Ariel Raban, 4^TH: Nick Karnovsky.

Stats

UII	Statistic	NYII	UII	Statistic	NYII
13	Shots	15	2	Offsides	0
5	Shots on goal	3	2	GK Saves	5
3	Blocked shots	8	11	Clearances	8
217	Total Passes	505
78.9	PassAccuracy%	85.5	17	Fouls	12
6	Corners	8	1	Yellow Cards	5
4	Total Crosses	7	0	Red Cards	1